Tea at Trianon: Long live King Charles III!

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Long live King Charles III!

Now we have to wade through all the attacks against Charles III, who just lost his mother, for being an "adulterer" etc. Charles and Camilla both publicly repented for their affair. The last time I checked, we belong to a religion which believes in repentance. Yes, I know they are not Catholic. I also am aware that Camilla's former spouse Andrew Parker-Bowles is Catholic but since their divorce it is my understanding that he received a decree of nullity. (Oh, but I know, some of you don't believe in annulments.) I am really tired of the stupid jokes about Charles not working. He has organized and run The Prince's Trust which had helped many young Britons achieve an education or a business. He has sponsored the preservation of historic buildings while pioneering advances in agriculture. He has practically rebuilt the Duchy of Cornwall so it is now a thriving corner of the UK. He was one of the only world leaders before Trump to sponsor the rescue of Christian slaves from ISIS. And for those of us with Jacobite leanings, the blood of Charles I will be restored when William Prince of Wales takes the throne, as HRH is descended through his mother Diana from at least two of the children of Charles II.

HERE is His Majesty's address to the nation on the death of so great a Queen, in which Charles III affirms his Christian faith and commitment. Text of speech, HERE. To quote:

The role and the duties of Monarchy also remain, as does the Sovereign's particular relationship and responsibility towards the Church of England -- the Church in which my own faith is so deeply rooted. In that faith, and the values it inspires, I have been brought up to cherish a sense of duty to others, and to hold in the greatest respect the precious traditions, freedoms and responsibilities of our unique history and our system of parliamentary government.

As The Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the Constitutional principles at the heart of our nation. And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the Realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life.

My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others. This is also a time of change for my family. I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort. I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.

As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades. He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades. Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty. With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given. I want also to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas. In a little over a week's time we will come together as a nation, as a Commonwealth and indeed a global community, to lay my beloved mother to rest. In our sorrow, let us remember and draw strength from the light of her example.

On behalf of all my family, I can only offer the most sincere and heartfelt thanks for your condolences and support. They mean more to me than I can ever possibly express. And to my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these years.

May 'flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest'.

From East of the Sun, West of the Moon, some pictures of Queen Elizabeth from throughout her life.

From Return to Order:

Thus, by living up to her role as a symbol, the Queen set the tone of society, influenced fashion and defined standards of excellence. Her Majesty reflected centuries of good taste, refinement, good manners and civility. She practiced the sacrifice of always appearing dignified and proper in public even when the rest of the world abandoned this much-needed sacrifice. Thus, she is remembered more as the ideal fairy-tale queen everyone imagined her to be than the person she actually was.

This ability to be a representative figure allowed her to exercise another role that is proper to her office. The Queen was also beloved and esteemed because she knew how to represent Christian majesty well. The end of the State is the ordering of the common good, and thus those entrusted with authority exercise a supreme mission with intrinsic dignity and majesty. Since all authority comes from God, it should be surrounded by ceremony and splendor to better mirror the Divine majesty.
The Queen exercised her authority with calm and benevolent majesty. Indeed, her reign represented the remnants of medieval pageantry that gave her office authenticity, brilliance, vigor and dignity. She reminded the world of a splendorous Christian civilization rejected by modern vulgarity and egalitarianism. This splendor contrasts with the demagoguery of clownish modern leaders who present caricatures of real authority. Most politicians follow Rousseauean models that imagine power coming not from God but the fickle whims of the popular will.

The Queen sacrificed herself by living up to the dignity and majesty of her office. It filled her reign with beauty and stability. Until the last days of her life, she carried out her duties with touching self-abnegation, solicitude and affection. Her beloved reign endured for over seventy years, during which she saw 15 prime ministers, 14 presidents and seven popes in office.

We live in a postmodern egalitarian world that detests everything the Queen represented. Political leaders today no longer want the arduous task of being a symbol. They are no longer capable of representing the sublime aspirations of their respective peoples or want to display the majesty and dignity of their offices. Even the surviving royals cannot live up to her standard of dedication and excellence.

The Queen stood out because few leaders today think beyond their self-interests. We are left as orphans inside a world political order that does not represent us or present us with sublime ideals. Everywhere, many crave those symbols and ideals that give meaning and purpose to political and social life. Thus, the Queen was loved and esteemed far beyond the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth’s 2.3 billion people. All those orphans who yearned for the ideals she represented could find in her a queen they could call their own. In a world filled with vulgarity and narcissism, they could always look to her and ask that God Save the Queen—that ideal Queen representing a splendorous and dignified world. These orphans looked to her simply as the Queen. (Read more.)

Lady Colin Campbell on Her Majesty's final illness and passing.